I wrote this as my contributing columnist piece in this week’s local paper

Title: May The Kiss Be With You

By Karen Hanrahan
I personally think that the kiss is the ultimate expression of love.

Even to this day a kiss can make my heart completely flutter.

Have you ever had a special kissing moment?

My very worst kiss was when I was a young adult. I worked in a tuxedo shop and ironed a zillion of those cotton ruffle shirts. This guy would wave to me as he got off the train. I’d wave back. This went on for some time. One day he came into the store and we talked. He was very cute. We exchanged quite the banter, he made me laugh and we found we actually had a lot in common. He started visiting daily and each day as he left he’d say – see you tomorrow! I found it all wonderfully distracting. Finally, he asked me out and the date was an absolute blast.

There was that inevitable moment when I knew he would kiss me.

(I can’t tell you the chuckle this memory brings to my mind)

Instead of puckering up and kissing my lips he opened his mouth really wide and kissed my entire face. The only way I can explain it is that he surrounded my nose, my chin, and my mouth with his completely open widehello are you in there mouth and called that a kiss. I tried to coax him into a bit of a pucker but this dude was utterly determined to give face instead.

My very best kiss was with a man I am no longer involved with. It amazes me that despite the fact that our relationship is over that I can still treasure this moment. I think this is the true magic of a tremendous kiss.

The ceremony was non-traditional, outside on an amazing slightly breezy-blue-sky-fluffy-white-cloud summer day. It was the kind of day that dreams were made of. The property was heavily wooded and we were poised perfectly between four magnificent oak trees, surrounded by a large half circle of friends and family. People we loved tremendously.

The minister was talking way too much. At one point he was comparing us to Adam and Eve and while it was really funny and every one was laughing, I personally began to loose focus as I stared into the eyes of my love. I wanted a kiss! Perhaps my groom sensed this. Perhaps he too wanted to kiss. He leaned in, pulled me closer, lips parted, our noses began playfully touching. At this point I had no awareness of anyone or anything, but him. I smiled, he pulled me even closer and he started to tremble. The absolute sweetest, head-to-toe wanting to kiss me tremble. I remember a gentle breeze across my neck, and the warmth of the sun filtering through the trees. The official marriage ceremony was obviously lost to this chemistry between us. The minister teasingly said the phrase “you may kiss the bride”

7 Responses to May The Kiss Be With You

Beautifully done, Karen! I have been married close to 20 years and we still kiss with modest passion. Our old tradition is that when we arrive somewhere too early, we stop the car and have a few minutes of kissing session to fill the time gap. Often we leave a little early to arrive too early…

I think Mark Twain said he could live on a good compliment for a month. You just demonstrated how a good kiss is forever. It made me think of one that wasn’t ceremonial, but happened with a young boy in a blue velvet shirt on my back steps. He leaned in tipped my chin up with his finger and gave me the sweetest and most memorable moment. That’s the guy I ran into again 35 years later who I’m married to now.

Dear Karen, Lovely story about your wedding. I had a traditional church wedding, but as I was walking down the aisle, I could see my husband to be smiling and staring at me. I have a photo of us exchanging rings, and I remember the look in his eyes. He has very vivid blue eyes, and that was all I could see!!! However, to be honest, I don’t remember our first married kiss!!!!! Of course, this was many years ago and a lot of that day is a blur – except the look in his eyes at the altar. It was definitely “The Look of Love” (our song). Rev. Bonnie